Dysosmobacter
Genus of bacteria
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Dysosmobacter is a genus of strictly anaerobic, non-spore-forming, rod-shaped bacteria in the family Oscillospiraceae, order Eubacteriales. Members of this genus are part of the gut microbiota of humans and other animals and are of interest for their potential health-related properties, particularly their production of short-chain fatty acids such as butyrate.
| Dysosmobacter | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Bacteria |
| Kingdom: | Bacillati |
| Phylum: | Bacillota |
| Class: | Clostridia |
| Order: | Eubacteriales |
| Family: | Oscillospiraceae |
| Genus: | Dysosmobacter Le Roy et al., 2020 |
| Type species | |
| Dysosmobacter welbionis | |
| Species | |
| |
Taxonomy
The genus Dysosmobacter was first described in 2020 by Le Roy et al., who isolated the type species, Dysosmobacter welbionis, from the feces of a healthy human subject.[1]
Two additional species have since been validly published:
- Dysosmobacter hominis, isolated from human feces and described in 2021 by Liu et al. as part of a comprehensive culturomics study of the human gut microbiome.[2]
Etymology
The name Dysosmobacter derives from the Greek "dysosme" meaning "bad smell" and Latin "bacter" meaning "rod", referring to the strong odor produced by the type strain in culture and its rod-shaped morphology.
Morphology and physiology
Species of Dysosmobacter are:
- Strictly anaerobic
- Non-motile
- Non-spore-forming
- Rod-shaped
- Gram-negative in staining, although phylogenetically related to Gram-positive clades
They are mesophilic and fermentative, producing SCFAs such as butyrate.
Ecology
Dysosmobacter species have been isolated from human and non-human primate feces. They are detected in healthy individuals and are considered part of the core gut microbiota.
Functional significance
Dysosmobacter welbionis has been shown to exert health-promoting effects in mouse models, including:
- Prevention of diet-induced obesity
- Improvement of glucose metabolism
- Reduction of adipose tissue inflammation
These effects were not observed with heat-inactivated cells, indicating that live bacteria are necessary for activity.[4]
Species
As of 2025, the genus Dysosmobacter includes the following validly published species:
- Dysosmobacter welbionis Le Roy et al. 2020
- Dysosmobacter hominis Liu et al. 2021
- Dysosmobacter acutus Li et al. 2022